


The Point of No Return

by The_Stuttering_Kiwi



Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel, Norse Mythology, Thor - Fandom, norse lore - Fandom
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Forced Marriage, Forced Relationship, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Rape/Non-con Elements, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-09-16 22:28:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9292172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Stuttering_Kiwi/pseuds/The_Stuttering_Kiwi
Summary: After being taken to Asgard as part of an arrangement with her father and Odin, Aela is forced to marry Thor.  Loki and Frigga are the only ones to show her any kindness and it isn't long before Aela and Loki reach the point of no return.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been weeks since the last battle and still the Asgardians were coming and going from Aela’s village.  Her mother kept her shut in their house, in fact, most of the other mothers kept their girls locked away from the stares of the strange soldiers constantly stalking their streets.  She hadn’t seen her father in months, since the beginning of the war with the village across the lake.  Aela supposed it was because he was the general of their village’s army but it still made no sense as to that the gods would want with him.  The nights seemed longer, the air thick with stress; it almost seemed everyone was in a better mood before the Gods had shown up—before the war ended.

But somehow Aela had fallen asleep…

“Aela, wake up.” Her mother's voice brought her back from the edge of deep sleep.

“What?” She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes—the sun wasn’t up yet, and the only light in her room was the candle her mother had brought in with her.

“Your father needs you to go to the long house.” Her mother's voice was strangled with worry although she tried to keep her face neutral.

“Me?”

“Yes!” She started to pull Aela up from her bed by her arm.

“Well, I have to get dressed first.” Aela made for her wardrobe but her mother pulled her away.

“No time!” The candle was almost extinguished by how fast her mother whirled her down the stairs and out the door, pausing only to pull the wild ropes of braided blond hair away from her face.

There was no light in the other homes, just the torches on either side of the doors of the long house at the end of the road. The cool night air chilled her skin and the crunching of gravel echoed in her ears, Aela was starting to feel nauseous as they drew closer to where her father was waiting. Before they could push the door open two Asgardians burst from the entry way.  They were even taller than the soldiers she had seen and looked far more important.  The blonde haired one looked down at her and scoffed disgustedly—his blacked haired companion looked at her with pity.

“What took you two so long?” Her father appeared behind the Asgardians, she had never seen her father nervous before and it made her feel terrified.  He grabbed both of them painfully by the arm and dragged them to where the Village leader sat on his throne. 

Another man stood next to him, large and unmovinag, again clearly Asgardian.  His golden eye patch glinted from the torches lining the wall, his other eye never blinked as she and her mother approached and knelt into a curtsy.

“Bjorn, I am glad to see you weren’t exaggerating like the others.” The man with the eye patch spoke with a booming voice.

“No, my lord.” Her father hung his head.  It was all Aela could do to keep her mouth from hanging open—she had never seen her father act like that before.

“She looks strong.” The Asgardian circled her, his eye burning intently down at her.

“Yes, my lord.” Her father replied, eyes firmly on fixed on the floor. 

“She will do.”

“Do what?” Aela and her mother asked in unison. Her father and the village leader shifted uncomfortably.

“To be a wife for my son and the next All Mother for Asgard.”

“All Mother?!” Everything in her head started to click.  This must be Odin, King of Asgard, and the pair she saw leaving the long house were his sons.  But how could she be All-Mother?

“But I can't—” She started but Odin grabbed her upper arm painfully and started pulled her toward the door, ignoring her mother's cries and protests.

“Wait!” She heard her father yell, “I thought we would have more time!”

“Where are we going?”Aela asked stupidly has Odin dragged her to the outskirts of the village, stopping in the middle of a wheat field.

He didn’t answer, only looked up to the now brightening sky and bellowed, “Heimdal, take us home!”

Her mind was reeling as a rainbow light enveloped them, and she knew exactly where she was headed.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Aela eyes found when her feet hit solid ground was the tallest man she had ever seen completely clad in gold armor. She knew him from the stories she was told as a child.

"Welcome, home All-Father." His voice deeper than what she had expected.

"Thank you, Heimdall."

It took her a moment to absorb the room she was standing in, she saw the two men that had left the long house just as she had gotten there. It seemed like hours ago.

"That's the best you could come up with?" The blonde one gestured at her.

"Enough Thor," Odin said in a low tone.

"You would think since I have no say in the matter you would at least find one that is actually appealing if that's even possible."

Aela swallowed hard, didn't they see she was standing right there?

"I took as much time as I could, she was the best they had."

"Maybe we could do this later?" The black haired man glanced at Aela, clearly, he was the only one who noticed her.

"Oh, like I care if the mortal hears me or not."

"You should care since she's the one expected to share your bed."

Aela's disgust must have shown on her face because Thor glared at her.

"We don't mate with Midgardians, Loki."

"Times change." Odin barked, "Besides after the wedding feast she won't be mortal anymore, so you will do as you are told." He jabbed Thor with a thick, gnarled finger and stomped from the room, the sea of people Aela hadn't noticed parted in his wake.

"Then I will be All-father and I can rid myself of her," Thor mumbled but clearly meant for her to hear him. She shrank back against the wall and watched as he followed his father.

"I'm sorry," Loki said softly, watching his brother disappear.

Aela couldn't say anything, it was like her tongue had turned to lead. It was bad enough to be dragged to a place she didn't know or understand and forced into a marriage but to be hated already? She wasn't sure how she was going to survive this.

"Don't you people have anything better to do?" A woman's voice rang out, causing the onlookers to scatter.

"Mother," Loki called, waving her over.

"Well, who do we have here?" The woman looked at Aela warmly and waited for her to answer, but she couldn't make her throat work.

"Father and Thor haven't been on their best behavior," Loki explained.

"That's enough to scare anyone half to death. My name is Frigga, but I'm sure you have put that together by now."

Aela nodded, she was now trembling so hard she thought her spine would snap.

"I always forget what it must be like for Midgardians to see us, most don't." Frigga wrapped an arm around Aela's shoulders and started to steer her, Loki followed silently behind. "I suppose you are wondering why the All-Father brought you here." When Aela didn't answer she continued in the same calm tone.

"You, of course, know of Heimdall—he saw the battle your father and your village was waging and alerted Odin, who of course either blesses or curses as he sees fit. He was very impressed by what he saw." Aela glanced up at Frigga and caught a glimpse of the palace, it wasn't much different than the pictures they had in the village temple. "Odin decided," Frigga continued, "To award your father with a special team of Asgardian soldiers at his command and allow your father counsel with him on all matters. And to seal their agreement Thor was to take one of the village daughters as a bride."

"Thor wasn't very happy about it," Loki said behind them.

"Thor will see it is for the best."

Loki merely scoffed.

Aela felt hundreds of eyes on her as Frigga lead her through the palace. Some were curious, some were amused, most were angry and piercing—she had never felt more uncomfortable in her entire life.

After what seemed like a thousand flights of stairs they finally came to a stop. Aela noted that neither Frigga or Loki seemed flushed or out of breath, where she could have dropped into a dead sleep right then and there—she could feel wisps of her hair plastered to her face and beads of sweat dripping down her back.

"Heres your room, dear. It's a bit small but you won't be here long, the wedding is the day after tomorrow."

"What?" Aela croaked.

"I had hoped that Odin would have selected someone when he had first gotten to Midgard to avoid this but…" Frigga looked stricken as Aela's eyes started to swim with tears, "Oh, my dear it isn't as bad as you think."

"You didn't hear Thor," Loki mumbled Frigga glared at him.

"I want to go home." Aela's voice trembled; she could have sworn she saw Frigga's eyes go misty as well.

"What's your name?"

"Aela."

"Aela, you go in there and take a nice long bath and get into bed. I'll have Loki come get you when you wake up and we can start to get you settled. Okay?"

She nodded slowly, trying to keep herself from crying, but a sob broke from her when Frigga hugged her—it reminded her so much of her own mother, who was Gods knows where in the universe.

"Aela," Loki bent into a deep bow and watched as she crept into her room and closed the door behind her, and he stood there for a while afterward relishing the taste of her name on his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Aela kept her eyes shut for as long as she could when she finally woke up—as long as they were closed she could pretend she was still home.

But the bed was softer than what she was used to on Midgard, the mattress was filled with something much softer than straw and the blanket felt like silk, something she had touched only once before when a merchant traveled through her village.  It didn’t make sense to feign sleep anymore and when she opened her eyes she was surprised to see servants bustling about her room. 

“There is a bath drawn for you, the All-Mother wants you in it right away.” One of the girls said without looking at her.

“Alright,” Aela uncovered herself slowly, noting that most of them wrinkled their noses at her nightgown.  Sure it was threadbare in a few spots but it really wasn’t dirty—or at least she didn’t think it was.

She waited until she was in the washroom before she undressed, almost as soon as she slid it from her shoulders and it fell passed her hips they whisked it away,  between pinched fingertips, she assumed its destination was the fireplace.

The water was a tad too hot but she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing she was uncomfortable as she sunk gingerly into the bath.  She grabbed a cloth that was laid on the side of the tub and the bar of rose smelling soap and rubbed her skin.  Tears welling up in her eyes as she realized she was washing away any trace of her home.  Aela waiting for as long as she could before getting out of the tub but the servants kept looking her way and clicking their tongues and sucking their teeth.  She had barely gotten the thick fluffy towel wrapped around herself before they pulled her back to the main area of her room.

“Stand here.” One of them barked at her, an older woman with a bolt of white cloth over her arm and pieces that looked like they could be sleeves. Aela stood stock still—but no one else seemed to move.

“Well let's go, we don’t have all day.” She barked again and two of the girls stepped forward. Grabbing the sleeves and started to slide them up her arms, taking care to not touch Aela as much as they could.  The seamstress started pinning the cloth around her body, making sure it hung in all the right places—it wouldn’t have been an entirely unpleasant experience but by the tenth pin stick, she was sure they were doing it on purpose.

“That looks beautiful.” Aela recognized Frigga’s voice and tried to smile at her but winced as she was stuck by another pin.  It didn’t take long for Frigga to catch on.

“Why don’t I help?” Frigga snatched the pins away and had the seamstress show her were to mark the fabric.

By the time they were done Aela had to admit it was a beautiful dress, but she dreaded having worn it tomorrow.  Suddenly the dress felt too tight and she had to resist not ripping it off of her body.

“It will be all put together for tomorrow,” Frigga said brightly helping her out of it and gave the dress gingerly to the seamstress and helped Aela put on a more simple dress and walked with her down to the feast all where Thor was holding court.

Aela took an empty seat between Frigga and Loki who smiled at her but no one else seemed to notice she was even in the room.  Odin sat at the head of the table, looking thoroughly bored while drinking an enormous mug of mead.

Thor stood boasting, bits of food spraying from his mouth and dribbling down onto his beard, slurring about his finest battle moments—his friends hanging on every word and cheering at all the right moments.  Aela felt her stomach churn as she picked at her plate of food knowing that this time tomorrow she would be married to him. 

After several toasts in Thor’s name he and his friends left (Thor had a serving girl under each arm), Frigga and Odin finished their food in silence and left, leaving Aela and Loki in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Aela was woken early the next morning by Frigga and several other maids who whisked her out of bed and into the bath. They braided her long blonde hair and pinned it in elegant swirls against her skull. Frigga flourished a beautiful, albeit heavy, sparkling necklace that she insisted Aela wear for her wedding day. By the time they had finished buttoning her into her dress, she couldn't recognize herself in the mirror-the light blue gemstones that encrusted the necklace made the blue in her eyes seem darker, like the lake beside her village—but she somehow still looked dull compared to the people flowing in and out of her room.

When they lead her to the temple Aela was surprised to see Loki pacing anxiously in front of the enormous wooden doors.

"Loki is going to walk you down the aisle," Frigga explained, giving Aela a strong hug and disappeared into the temple.

"I don't want to do this," Aela whispered as Loki laced her arm through his.

"I would say we could make a run for it, but Odin would find us before we even had an idea of where to go." Loki smiled sadly at her.

Aela heard the music change, but her brain couldn't make sense of the notes, her body turned to lead as she allowed Loki to lead her in.

* * *

The ceremony passed in a blur. It was obvious that the people didn't want Aela to be there as much as she wished she wasn't. Thor only moved and spoke when needed, and even then Odin almost needed to pull the words from his mouth. No one cheered or celebrated when they were declared officially married—and she trailed slowly behind has they all moved to the feast hall.

Thor and Aela were placed at the head of the table, where Odin and Frigga usually sat—but no one sat near her. She found herself wishing Loki was around to make her feel less alone but she hadn't seen him since the ceremony Thor disappeared into the throngs of people and whenever she caught sight of him he appeared more and drunk. Plates and plates were laid before her but Aela couldn't eat a bite. She tried to take a sip of mead but it wouldn't go past the lump in her throat, she had to spit it back into her cup. It seemed like an eternity until it was time for the priests to usher them to their new shared chambers. Her legs turned to jelly.

"Brother!" Thor bellowed, swaying, draping himself over Loki as he tried to walk. Aela was surprised to see him, thinking had thought he went to bed hours ago.

"Thor, congratulations." Loki wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of alcohol on Thor's breath.

Thor slurred something loudly and ended it with a loud burp, but the next thing he said almost stopped Aela in her tracks, "I can't believe you got stuck having to watch me have to fuck the Midgardian."

Aela flinched at the language, but the thought of Loki being there made her want to drop dead in that hallway.

"She won't be a simple Midgardian for much longer," Loki replied with a glance at her.

"The golden apple won't change that much!" Thor laughed and stumbled on until they got to the door of the room and he pushed it open with his huge hand.

Aela was ushered into the dressing room, and was quickly shed of her dress and had a flimsy white nightgown tugged over her head. It barely covered her body before two of the priests came to her, one holding a golden apple in his hand.

Blood whirled in her head, she could see their lips moving—she assumed in explanation to the fruit she was supposed to eat or in prayer but her brain couldn't register words. They held the apple out to her and waited for her to take it. She was surprised how heavy it felt in her hands—and almost slippery. She knew what would happen if she took a bite, she had heard the stories since she was a child, and the thought of being immortal with Thor as a husband made her want to throw the apple across the room.

"You have to eat." The priest urged her.

"But I—" She began.

"You must, you are expected to be All-Mother and bare the next King of Asgard. It simply can't be done as a mortal."

She was about to say she would rather die in childbirth, but the priest took the apple from her hands and pressed it to her lips and forced her to eat. It would have been the best thing she had ever tasted—crisp and sweet. Almost as soon as she swallowed she felt a strange warmth spread from the tips of her fingers to her toes. Somehow her heart beat felt stronger, she could tell from looking at herself in the mirror her skin no longer looked dull but vibrant and healthy; minor aches disappeared, she couldn't deny that she felt _better_ , even though she thought she felt physically fine before.

The priests barely let her swallow the last bite before she was pushed into the bedroom. The large four poster bed was surrounded by a few of the nobles she had seen at the wedding, the maids that had been with her since she arrived, and Loki, who was standing near the head of the bed, his thin lips were pressed into a fine line and his eyes were fixed on the wall behind her.

Aela gathered the extra length of her nightgown up in her hands and crawled onto the bed, tugging the blankets tightly up to her chin, glancing nervously at the men through the thin material of the bed curtains.

"Time to get this over with." Thor barged into the room, elbowing a few of the men jokingly as he passed them. Aela squeezed her eyes shut when she realized he was completely naked. When she felt his weight hit the bed she thought she would vomit despite her already empty stomach. A small scream escaped from her mouth when Thor tugged the blankets off of her.

Thor's knees forced Aela's legs apart, while his hands roughly pushed her nightgown up. Her eyes were still shut when he pressed his weight against her, painfully crushing her breasts against her chest. She bit down on her lip when she felt his hardness press against her, as Thor tried to push into her entrance. Thor's beard rubbed her face uncomfortably when he tried to kiss her, the smell of mead on his breath made her stomach cramp and when she turned her head away Thor burst out laughing—then grunted loudly has he pushed his cock into her.

If Aela thought she would suffocate under the weight of the man on top of her it was nothing compared to how she thought she would meet her end from the pain when Thor moved inside of her—but none of it compared to when she dared to open her eyes and found them locked with Loki's—she thought she would die in that moment from the shame. Each thrust wrenched a sob from her but Aela was sure no one heard it over Thor's loud grunts. It seemed like an eternity when she felt Thor's movements falter and felt him pulse inside of her as he let out a long low moan against her ear. He laid on top of her for a moment before rolling off of her, grinning stupidly, and laid with his back to her pulling the blankets over himself.

Aela pulled her nightgown back down to cover herself, cringing at the feeling of Thor leaking out of her and tucked herself as close to the edge of the bed as possible. Their audience began to leave as Thor started to snore loudly. Loki couldn't seem to leave, his legs twitched as he willed himself to move but he stayed rooted to the spot. Aela stretched her hand out to him, her fingers reaching as far as she could.

"Loki! Are you waiting for the second round?" A voice called from the hallway, then laughter at the speakers own joke.

A low groan rumbled from Loki's throat and when he turned to leave he stretched out his long fingers and brushed Aela's skin through the flimsy material of the bed curtains before he crept from the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Aela's days started with Thor rolling sleepily on top of her and ended with him reeking of mead and, more often than not, other women, grunting in her ear after he pushed her legs apart. Her maids were only around in the early morning to draw her a bath (she always made sure it was steaming and often scrubbed her skin raw to get Thor off her skin), and to get her ready for bed. If she was honest she really didn't care, it meant that during the day she was free to roam the palace. She always hoped she would run into Loki but she hadn't seen him since the wedding night.

Eventually, she had explored every nook and cranny of the palace and she started to check out the city. Aela was surprised at how at home she felt down in the streets. She loved watching the magicians in the streets, the different shop stalls from the other realms in the market, the strange animals brought up for sale from the countryside. Occasionally she would catch sight of Thor and his friends coming and going from the different pubs—and more than a few times she saw him go in and leave a building that was obviously a whore house. Those nights she would pretend to be asleep when he came to bed but he took her anyway.

All too soon she got bored with the city. She followed the roads that lead away from the hustle and bustle—going from perfect, evenly laid brick streets to crumbling poorer condition roads that made her stumble more than a few times—her feet were happy when she came to the grassy paths. She could hear the ocean waves crashing nearby and she followed the sound to the edge of the path where the water raged below-the salty air filled lungs as she breathed in deeply. The Bifrost glinted brightly in the distance and she could just make out the peaks of the houses in the city. A cool wind blew down from the mountains that towered miles high behind her, pushing her closer to the rocky edge of the cliff, while the wind coming up from the ocean kept her steady, stinging her skin from the salty spray.

Aela watched the move lower in the sky, a hairsbreadth away from the edge, as she waited to see which way the fates would move her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter but I think it's okay for this point of the story.


	6. Chapter 6

Loki stood still until the spinning of the Bifrost ceased. The travel and the intense rotation of the golden room always made him nauseous.

"Hello mother," he greeted Frigga warmly as she hugged him tightly.

"I missed you," Frigga laced her arm through her sons and walked him across the rainbow bridge to the palace. She always seemed to be able to read him, but as Frigga looked up at his face, she had no idea what he was thinking.

"I just needed some time away."

The morning after Thor's wedding Loki had gone straight to Frigga asking if he could go to Vanaheim to stay with her family. It was hard to believe he had only been gone three months. He would have stayed longer but Thor's coronation was only two days away. The only bright spot was that he knew he would be leaving again soon.

"The queen wrote to me while you were away," Frigga started brightly.

"I stayed out of trouble."

"She did mention you were uncharacteristically quiet. But it seems you made an impression while you were there, with one of the ladies at the court."

"I'm not interested," Loki replied simply, but he knew who the queen had written about. Guilt swirled in the pit of his stomach, he really shouldn't have led her on, but…he had needed the escape to try and drive _her_ from his mind.

It didn't help.

"Oh, Loki—" Frigga looked at him sadly as they entered the palace.

"I am fine mother, really, I—"

"Loki!" Thor roared from the end of the entrance hallway, arms spread wide.

"Thor," Loki replied curtly. Frigga unlaced her arm and excused herself to oversee the palace decorating.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't come back." Thor crossed the distance and clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"And miss all this?" Loki gestured to the red and gold banners hanging down from the ceiling and lining the walls.

Thor didn't seem to hear him as he slapped one of the serving girls passing on the ass. She turned and grinned widely at him.

"Where is the future All-Mother?"

"Who the Hel knows, I never see her in the daylight," Thor said dismissively.

Loki blew air forcefully out thru his nose and pressed his lips into a tight thin line, and turned on his heel back the way he came.

"Where are you going?" Thor yelled behind him.

"I need some air."

* * *

The dirt path crunched beneath his black boots, the sound of the ocean growing louder with each step he took. He wished he was still in Vanaheim, even if it meant the pointless nights with Elisef, at least he wouldn't have to be witness to Thor becoming All-Father. And he wouldn't have to see _her_.

Part of him hoped Thor would have grown while he was away and learned to love her…to make her happy. It was obvious it hadn't happened. And he wasn't sure how he would be here and see her unhappy.

He closed his eyes when the salt air hit his lungs, knowing he was close to the only place in the realms that was his.

"Loki?"

It felt like a vice grip tightened around his chest as he opened his eyes slowly. The winds making her blonde hair whip around her face and the skirts of her dress billow with each gust.

He hadn't thought of name since he left since he touched her skin through the flimsy material of the bed curtains on her wedding night.

"Aela." He breathed her name as the weight on his chest lifted, and Loki knew there was no escape.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki felt the strong mountain wind at his back, while the salty spray traveled up the side of the cliff to keep him from being blown over into the watery oblivion below. Aela didn't take her eyes off of him, but he was so surprised to see her there he didn't know what to say to her.

"Where have you been?" Aela asked, her voice was small, almost like she hadn't had a chance to use it much.

"I went to Vanaheim, Mother has family there."

"Are you back for the coronation?"

Loki nodded, tucking his long black hair back behind his ear, "I am going back after."

"Oh…" Loki's stomach dropped—he hadn't realized she was hopeful that he was back for good.

"Come here." He grabbed her hand and led her away from the edge of the cliff. He took her back to the tree line and helped her down onto the ground and he sat next to her.

"How did you find this place?"There was a small village a few miles away but people rarely went off the path.

"It was an accident. I couldn't stay in the palace anymore, and I was bored with the city. I heard the ocean from the path and decided to follow the sound. It's comforting here. How did you know where I was?"

"I didn't. I got back to the place and ran into Thor and just had to get away. This has been my spot for as long as I could remember-whenever I needed to get away from him or Odin," Aela's eyes widened when Loki called his father by his name, but Loki ignored it. "I used to just wait for the wind to blow me to one side or the other."

"Except you just end up standing still," Aela said knowingly.

Loki nodded, rubbing his hands on his leather covered thighs, trying to keep them busy.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a long while.

"Why did you call your father by his name?" Aela asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the seabirds rising and diving over the waves.

Loki sighed deeply...unsure if he wanted to risk her looking at him differently.

"You don't have to tell me," Aela said hastily, glancing at him.

"He's not…my father. Mother often went with him to battles as a sort of general to the magic wielders. But during the last war with Jotenheim, she was taken prisoner and…"

Aela grabbed his hand, "I'm sorry."

His heart jumped at the warmth of her touch, "I heard them arguing about me a lot when I was younger. And one night I heard Odin say what I was. It never really bothered me until recently, though. If I was actually his son then he would have more interest in me."

"You don't look like a Joten," Aela's fingers absentmindedly ran along his long digits causing goosebumps to spring up on his arms.

"They rescued mother and she made them go back for me. When Odin found me I looked like a Joten but when he held me I changed. Mother said it was an instinct, a glamor. She had to show me how to reverse it."

"Do you ever change back?"

Loki shrugged, "Only the few times it took me to learn but…I don't like to. Not many people know what I am."

The sun moved lower in the sky.

"We should probably be getting back." Loki murmured.

Aela took her hand back, "I know."

Loki stood and towered over Aela on his long legs, offered her his hand, and helped her up—neither of them spoke as they walked back to the palace.

* * *

Dinner that night was uncomfortable.

Thor boasted about his coronation while Loki and Aela picked at their food. Frigga tried to engage Aela in conversation but got nothing more than a mumbled reply.

"Your dress is beautiful gold silk with the deepest rubies sewn on—"

"Do you really think it will help?" Thor asked doubtfully.

"She will be exquisite," Frigga smiled.

Thor scoffed and turned his attention to the guard who entered the dining hall, "I'm sorry but there is a lady here who says she's expected." The guard announced.

"Finally!" Thor rubbed his hands together.

"Who is it?" Loki asked, leaning back in his chair to see around the doorway.

"Well you see, brother, I heard how much fun you were having in Vanaheim. And I thought I would bring the fun here for you." Thor grinned widely.

"Oh no." The front legs of Loki's chair slammed back onto the floor.

"All-Mother, All-Father, thank you so much for the invitation," A woman's voice came from the hall as Lady Elisef entered.

"I wish I had known about it!" Frigga said brightly as she got out of her seat to hug the newcomer, "Have you eaten?"

"No, I left Vanaheim a little later than I had planned." Elisef took the empty seat next to Loki.

Thor winked at Loki who was shaking with rage, servants swirled around them, placing a plate of food and a goblet of mead in front of Elisef.

"I guess the two of you spent a lot of time together." Thor rested his head on his hands as he spoke, winking at the two on them; Aela dropped her hands into her lap.

"I just couldn't help myself." Elisef laughed and draped herself over Loki's shoulder, as he stiffened at his touch and fought to not lean away from her.

"I am going to go to bed." Aela stood sharply, without looking at Loki.

"I'll go with you. We have to talk." Thor's demeanor changed as followed his wife from the hall.

"It's strange that she isn't with child yet." Elisef watched the pair leave.

Loki's stomach churned.

"Those things can take some time," Frigga said knowingly, with a glare at Odin who scoffed.

"Perhaps it has to do with her being Midgardian. Maybe she just isn't up to the task." Elisef shrugged as she took a mouth full of food.

Elisef and Frigga fell into an easy conversation while Loki wondered what the Hel he had gotten himself into.

"Loki, why don't you show Lady Elisef to her chambers," Frigga suggested brightly standing and pushed her chair in.

Loki nodded and as soon as he was out of his seat Elisef tucked her arm through his. She chattered absentmindedly as they walked through the halls, stopping short outside of Odin and Aela's chambers.

"Wow, sounds like they are having a rough night." She whispered and waggled her eyebrows, as the sounds of shouting and thuds came from behind the heavy wooden door.

"Yeah…" Loki tugged her along, wanting to get as far away from Aela's cries as possible.

"Arent you coming in?" Elisef asked running a finger along Loki's jaw line.

Loki shook his head, "Not tonight."

"Don't say you are tired of me." Elisef pouted.

"It has been a long day." Loki pulled away, "Goodnight." He bowed curtly, turned on his heel, and passed back by Thor's chambers, which was now eerily quiet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts off from when Loki and Elisef pass by Thor and Aela's rooms.

Aela stared at the bottle in Thor's hand wide-eyed.

"I am not drinking that." She said in a low voice.

"Yes, you will one way or another. Do you have any idea the things they are saying about me? Or how it felt going to Eir myself for this stupid potion?" Thor shook the bottle under her nose.

"I don't care. I am not drinking it." She watched as the liquid in the glass bottle sloshed, almost in slow motion. Aela wouldn't drink it, she wouldn't.

Thor let out a frustrated snort and rushed at Aela, pressing her against the wall with his heavy forearm, "Do you really think I like bedding you?" He spat at her, his hot breath on her face as she struggled to break free, "It makes me sick."

"If it makes you sick imagine how it makes me." She hoped she sounded brave, but the pressure from his arm on her chest took the wind out of her.

"You bitch!" Thor pressed his arm into her harder, "The sooner you give me an heir the sooner I can be rid of you! The sooner I don't have to share a bed with you anymore!" With his free hand, he brought the bottle to his mouth and pulled the cork out with his teeth and spit it out on the floor. He moved his hand to wrench Aela's mouth open and poured the potion into her mouth, pushing her jaw closed so she couldn't spit it out.

"Swallow it." He commanded.

Aela held the disgusting liquid in her mouth, determined to keep it there and spit it out the second she got a chance, but Thor pinched her nose closed, forcing her throat to work.

"Good girl." He sneered, and pushed her over the night table, lifting up her nightgown. This night, Aela didn't bother to cover her cries.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aela couldn't eat the next morning, the thought of the potion already working in her body made her stomach churn uncomfortably. She stayed in the palace long enough to have her dress fitted, then she made for the cliff, where Loki was already waiting.

"I thought you would be with Lady Elisef." Aela sat next to Loki on the soft ground.

Loki chuckled, "I got out of there before she even left her chambers."

"But the two of you had so much fun while you were away." Why did she sound so angry?

"I made a mistake with her," then he clarified, "Several of them."

Aela scoffed, crossing her arms, wincing at the soreness in her chest from the night before.

"What happened last night?"

"Nothing."

"It didn't sound like nothing."

"Thor…Thor isn't happy that I'm…not pregnant yet." Aela said slowly, "He went to the healer to get a fertility potion. I didn't want to take it." She finished rubbing her chest absentmindedly. Telling Loki felt like Thor's arm was still pressing onto her.

"He made you." Aela nodded, feeling more humiliated than she ever had before.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Loki wave a hand, causing hundreds of beautiful butterflies to appear in the air around them. Aela reached out to touch one but as soon as her finger touched the delicate wing it vanished.

"Mother used to do this for me when I was younger, after fights with Thor. It's a good distraction."

"Yeah, it is." She smiled softly, as she watched the butterflies land on this and that. "She taught you a lot didn't she?"

"She did. Thor was first, of course, but with me…I think she wanted to make up for how Odin treated me. Not bad exactly, just, different. He spent all of his time and energy on Thor."

"Seeing how he turned out, I think you were lucky."

Loki nodded, "It took me a while to figure that out but I am."

Aela couldn't help but think about his parentage. She had seen the drawings in the temples of the Frost Giants and heard the stories from the Elders. Loki seemed nothing like her knowledge of the Jotens.

"C-could you show me?"

"What?"

"Could you show me what you really look like?"

"I don't know…" Loki looked down at his hands in his lap.

"I won't think of you any differently." She reassured him, moving closer and lacing her fingers through his.

Loki swallowed hard and give a quick nod, closing his eyes. Aela watched as blue spread from the tips of his fingers, down his hands, and up his arms. She started to trace the tribal lines that raised on his skin, her fingers getting numb from the cold. When Loki opened his eyes, instead of their deep green, they were bright red.

"What do these mean?" Aela asked softly.

"Apparently they mark where you are in the higher-archery of the realm. These mark that I am the King's son."

"What?" She asked surprised.

"When they took my Mother-she was a prize for King Laufey."

"She is a strong woman."

"One of the strongest," Loki looked at her. After a few moments Loki's skin turned back and was beginning to warm, but it never got to what Aela considered normal, which, she realized was just him.

"You said yesterday that it didn't bother you…being treated differently…until recently. Why?"

"Because…because if I was a real second son then I would have been the one to be married to you. Thor would have been saved for something more important. No offense." He finished hastily.

Aela chuckled. "None taken. I would have preferred it."

"It's strange feeling to be preferred over Thor." Loki laughed.

"Elisef seems to like you."

Loki ran his hands over his face, "I don't know how I am going to get out of that one."

"You'll figure it out."

The sun was setting and the last of Loki's conjured butterflies vanished.

"We should be getting back."

"Do we have too?" Aela wondered if anyone would even bother looking for her if she never set foot in the palace again.

Loki sighed heavily and helped pick her up off the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

In the weeks following Thor and Aela's coronation, Thor was rarely at the palace. Most of his time he was visiting the realms in his capacity as All-father, and when he was on Asgard he was locked in the throne room with Odin who was teaching him on how to take on his new kingly duties. Once, Aela had asked him if she needed to go with him as his new Queen and he simply laughed her off. The best thing about Thor's new responsibilities was he hardly had time to sleep with her, but that was nothing compared to how content she was with how often she was able to be with Loki. They started out their days eating quietly at breakfast and leaving the palace to meet at their spot on at the cliffs and returning in time for dinner.

The last three weeks had been the longest Thor had been away at one stretch, but that would soon be over.

"Thor gets back tonight?" Loki asked, trying not to think of that would mean for Aela later on that night.

"Yes." Aela's voice shook and he knew she was thinking the same, "I hate him." She added through gritted teeth.

Aela watched Loki out of the corner of her eye as his jaw clenched and her heart sped up has he traced the lines on the back of her hand. She thought her chest could burst with how much she loved him, though it took her this long to realize that is what caused her skin to flush whenever he touched her or why she felt safe and at ease with him-even though she was sure he didn't feel the same.

"Loki, I—" She began, not really knowing what she was going to say, but was cut short when Loki kissed her. An unfamiliar pull swirled low in her belly in time to Loki's lips moving against her mouth. Loki's hand left a blazing trail as he moved from her hands to cupping her face—not breaking contact with her. Aela surprised herself by moaning when she opened her mouth and her tongue danced along his lower lip, urging him to deepen the kiss. It seemed like an eternity when Loki pulled away breathless; Aela recognized the look in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice deeper than normal, as Aela started to pull up her skirts.

"I thought…you wanted to…"She searched for the word that sounded better than what Thor called what they did but she couldn't.

"I do," Loki said sheepishly and stopped her.

"Then what?" She couldn't help but feel a little bit rejected.

"I'm not my brother."

"I didn't think you were…I just thought that _that's_ how it's done."

Loki laughed softly, shaking his head and kissed her again, "It really isn't." His lips trailed to her neck, pressing soft kisses here and there.

"Can you show me?" Aela asked breathlessly, causing Loki's green eyes to widen in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

She answered by grabbing the front of his soft leather shirt and pulling him toward her as they toppled back onto the grass, smiling when Loki claimed her mouth with his. Loki's hands move across her chest and nimbly unbuttoned the front of her dress, the skin of her breasts warming in the afternoon sun—the mixture of the cool wind and Loki's skin made her nipples harden. She wanted to feel more of him, to _see_ more of him; Aela tugged his shirt over Loki's head, causing his long black hair to fall around their faces as they continued the kiss.

Aela gasped when her hips instinctively rolled up to meet his, trying to reach sensation she was unfamiliar with.

"Patience," Loki grinned, running his nose along her jaw line, planting kisses on her neck—while his hands left her breasts and traveled to her waist.

"I don't seem to have any at the moment." She replied, her breath hitching in her throat when his fingers found their way to the soft skin of her inner thigh. Loki kept his eyes on her as he slid a long, slender digit between her folds, slippery with her arousal—something she had never experienced before. She gripped his arm tightly as he slid a finger into her center. Her body adjusted quickly to the invasion and she bucked her hips, encouraging to move his hand. It was a moment or two before he added a second and began curling them in a beckoning motion inside of her, at the same time brushing his thumb in a circular motion against her clit, making Aela moan and writhe beneath him.

"Loki…Please." She begged, dropping her hand and tugging at the waistband of his pants.

"How can I say no to you?" Loki's eyes flashed at the sight of her under him—Aela's blonde hair splayed in the grass, her bare chest heaving almost in time to his fingers pumping in and out of her; he dipped his head and kissed her, withdrawing his fingers (Aela's whine was muffled by his mouth), and tugged his pants down. Aela opened her eyes in time to see Loki's length spring free from his bottoms as he positioned himself over her, readying himself. Despite feeling the lighter weight of Loki on top of her and the gentleness of his movements Aela couldn't help but think of Thor—the thought sent her trembling.

"Aela?"

"I can't help but think about him."

"Do you want to stop?"

She answered by wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him into her, the head of Loki's member just beginning to breach her entrance.

"Not on your life." She forced the thoughts of Thor from her mind.

"That's all I needed to hear." Loki pushed himself into her with a grunt.

He waited a moment before rocking his hips-at Aela's urging—her legs still wrapped around his waist and her nails digging into the flesh of his arms.

"Loki…" She breathed out his name over and over, each time making Loki snap his hips into her a bit harder than the last. He shifted his movements so with each thrust his pelvic bone hit the bundle of nerves at the top of her center.

Loki could feel her body begin to tense around him, making it harder for him to hold back from his own release, but try as he might his movements became more and more erratic.

"Loki!" Aela's cries seemed to echo off the mountain side as her walls started to flutter and clench around him, her nails cutting into the skin of his arms, and her legs shook as they tightened involuntarily. Loki covered her mouth with his to stifle their cries as he spilled into her a moment later.

"I'm sorry," Aela looked at the blood red crescents had left on Loki's arm.

Loki glanced down at them and grinned widely, "I'm not." He stood to pull his pants back over his hips, while Aela made no move to fix the top of her dress.

"I'm not ready to go back."

"If I had a way to get you away from him I would. I just don't know how." He knelt down beside her, helped her sit up, and slowly began to fasten the front of her dress. When he was finished he held her face in his hands. "I'd give my life for you to be rid of him."

Aela kissed him deeply in response, "I don't know about that," she said when they broke apart, "Because then what would be the point?"

* * *

"Where is Thor?" Loki asked when he entered the dining hall. Aela had been there for close to fifteen minutes already, to throw off any rumors that could start about them arriving together.

"He's been delayed another night." Aela almost couldn't keep from smiling. Another night without Thor was a gift.

"I'm sorry to hear it, you must miss him terribly." Loki had to fight to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

Both missed the way Frigga glanced at them.

* * *

Aela lay in bed that night, long after the palace had quieted down and the servants had gone to bed. She couldn't stop thinking about Loki and what they had done—the thought causing her arousal to pool between her thighs, she was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the bedroom door creak open.

"Aela?" Loki's voice brought her back to the present.

"Loki?" Aela threw the covers back and leaped out of bed rushing to meet him, "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep." He said with a wicked grin.

"Neither could I, but you can't be in here." Her stomach churned at the thought of Loki being caught in her's and Thor's shared chambers.

"Oh, they won't find me in here." He said confidently, dipping his head down to kiss her, tangling his hands in her hair, walking her backward toward the bed.

"How is that?" Aela pulled away, her voice full of concern—he wasn't going to distract her that easily.

"I am very good at the magic I do, especially illusions." He pushed her back onto the bed, crawling on top of her.

"Loki…" Aela was doubtful his magic was that good, but his lips on her neck almost made her forget why she was worried.

"Trust me."

She considered for a moment, finally deciding that he really wouldn't have risked coming into the King and Queens chambers if he thought there was a risk of being found out, "I trust you."

Loki smiled widely, "We have a few hours until the palace wakes up, and I know exactly how I want to spend them."


End file.
